UKIP came top at Tendring District Council (the area around Clacton and Harwich) with 19,398 votes, Conservatives second (9,981), Labour third (5,241) and Greens fourth (2,604).

Conservatives came top at East Cambridgeshire Council in Eastern region with 6,692 votes. Ukip were second (6,553 votes), Labour third (2,552), Liberal Democrats fourth (2,303) and Greens fifth (2,106).

UKIP topped Thurrock, Essex in the Eastern Region with 17,416 votes; Labour came second (8,645); Conservatives came third (7,387); Green fourth (1,293) with Lib Dems trailing in 6th with 637 votes.

Early prediction of the make-up of the new European Parliament Credit: European Parliament

When British MEPs go to the European Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg, they join wider political party groupings from other countries in Europe. There are already early estimations of how big these groups will be based on the 2014 results.

The Conservatives used to be part of the biggest grouping, the European People's Party, which is predicted to get 221 of the 751 seats in the new Parliament. Now the Tories are part of the much smaller European Conservatives & Reformists Group which is expected to get 39 seats, down 18 from 2009.

Labour is in the Socialist Group which is predicted to increase its share of the vote and take 193 seats. The Liberal Democrats join the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats - now predicted to get 74 MEPs.

UKIP is in the EFD group - Europe of Freedom & Democracy. Early estimates expect the size of that group to rise from 31 to 33.

Not surprisingly the Green Party join their fellow Greens and that group is predicted to have 58 members - up one.

Turnout in the European Election in the Eastern region in 2014 is lower than last time Credit: PA

Fewer people turned out to vote in the European Election in the Eastern region in 2014 than in the last election five years ago.

Although the results can't be declared until the rest of Europe finishes voting at 10pm on Sunday, the turnout figure has been released.

In the East of England, which covers Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, 1,580,995 voters went to the polls. That represents 36.2% of the electorate, down from 37.7% in 2009.

The lowest European Election turnout in the UK was in 1999 when, across the country, less than a quarter of people bothered to go to polling stations.

Advertisement

Polling stations in the UK will be open from 7am until 10pm on Thursday 22 May 2014 Credit: PA

Voters are going to the polls in the European Elections across the Anglia region and the rest of the UK.

The vote is conducted on a proportional representation system and the result won't be known until Sunday night after the rest of Europe has voted.

At stake in the Eastern region are seven seats in the European Parliament. In the East Midlands, which includes Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire, there are five places while Milton Keynes is in the giant South East constituency with 10 MEPs being elected.

It's the biggest test of public opinion since the last General Election in 2010 and the result will be closely analysed for indications of how the parties are doing ahead of the next General Election in May 2015.